This is the place to keep up with all the happenings here at any given moment. This where I can keep everyone updated & informed of all that is new and news with the family. There is the random stuff generated by various sources that have appealed to me, amusing bits, and thing that sometimes tick me off. It depends on the day – it runs the gamut in content. Be prepared for a surprise everyday. Thanks for joining me on the journey.

Pages

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Here we are the last day of another month the year is just slipping right on by. Dean got an early start on work today, so I will be heading out this morning to take Sean to school.

I can really tell that Spring is in the air or at least on the way, the small birds are almost flocking to the neighborhood. There is such a flurry of activity outside it is amazing. They serenade one another all morning long. It is so lovely to listen to. I would love to be able to capture their 'conversations', but the traffic noise seems to override their voices on tape. Tweat has been enjoying the return of other birds to the cul-de-sac, she is even 'talking' more.

Great News!! I've gotten a job! I will be working for a local dentist as his, Director of Membership Website and Product Development (this is a working title which will probably need tweaking). I begin work on Monday morning, bright an early at 7:30 a.m. I have loads to read up on and to get aquainted with before then. I want to at least have my feet wet to some extent before hitting the front door. It will be a whirlwind of activity, so lets all hold on tight and enjoy the ride.

A really special thanks goes out to Jamie for her recommendation - thanks so much! I will do my very best to live up to the level that is necessary.

I have so much work to do before Monday. Lots to read, computer work to do and some various other online training to go through. If I really thought about it I would probably think horrible thoughts, but I know that it is going to go just fine.

There has been lots excitement involving my new position. Everyone in the family is extremely excited.

Walter took me out to dinner this evening, at Mi Hicendia. We had a great conversation and he told me that he is going to working 16 hours days for the foreseeable future. They have lots of work they are doing. After dinner he took me up to Rack Room shoes to get me a couple of pairs of dress work shoes.

Danielle phoned this evening and was so excited about my news. I told her about my celebration outing with Walter and she had to see the shoe. Of course, that involved taking pictures and getting them posted while we were on the phone together. She has a real thing for shoes since she can't wear them she at least get a vicarious thrill out of seeing the one that I have.

She also sent me along this surprise picture of Miss Faith standing up. She's been doing this for a whole week and Danielle finally been able to capture her in the act. She looks so proud of herself standing there all by herself.

Sean came up with the idea to get Danielle to drive him home from school. She has agreed to do this for him for the next little while at least as long as he is still getting out of school at 11:50 a.m. It is very sweet of her to do this.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thought for the Day:“Whenever you find you are on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”—Mark Twain

Aerobic Class

A woman's friend was encouraging her to enroll in an aerobics class. "No, absolutely not!" she exclaimed. "I already tried that once," "What happened?" her friend asked, looking puzzled. She replied "And by the time time I got the darn leotard on the classs was over!"

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Wow, what a foggy morning. Looking out the back window I cannot see the houses on the street behind us. It sort of reminds me of a morning at Mamaw Stapleton's when the fog has settled down in front of the ridge. It is really pretty from the upstairs window - The distant trees were coated in foggy giving them an eerie look while the closer ones were much darker and sharper. Very, very pretty.

We have an IEP meeting this morning at school. All three of us will be attending. I hope that we get things straight. The IEP meeting went fairly well. Sean will be changing some of his schedule in about a week. Should all go well he will be able to begin going to lunch instead of 'tutoring' and be adding a second class to his day.

I received an initial phone call today from the dental practice where I have applied to be a personal assistant. I believe that things went well. I have already taken the Predictive Index Survey which is one of their means of pre-employment screening. I feel very good about the conversation and it gave me a great boost of confidence in my ability to get back out into the job market. I know that I can do the job it is just a matter of getting my foot into the door and showing an employer that I am not a dinosaur when it comes to technology and current knowledge.

I am expecting a visit from Danielle this afternoon. She's dropping by to pick up a couple of things that I have found that belong to her. While cleaning out my jewelry the other day I found her dolphin ring that she had received for Christmas one year; several pins that I thought that she might like to have for Faith; and a ring that had belonged to her Granny Sloan.

We had a great visit! Danielle stayed for almost a whole hour. We talked about everything from her developing case of 'senioritis' to their enrolling Faith in pre-school when she's 2 1/2 yrs old.

They are preparing for their move to Lynchburg in the summer after graduation. There is so much to do and prepare. Ben has already registered for his Fall classes and it won't be too long before it will be time for her to do the same. Her plan is to take one class each semester during the next school year and then after Faith is enrolled in pre-school to add an additional class. That way she'll still be home with her for the most part and give Faith some playtime out with other children.

Danielle is getting ready for her Senior prom and this is the dress that she is trying to find to wear. It is available locally so she hopes that they have it in stock. They are going shopping this weekend to see if they can either get it or order it. She was going to talk with her hairstylist today about being able to do her hair the way the model in the picture has hers. I do believe that she would look very nice with her hair done that way.

Sean went to his first class and waited around for about 30 minutes before we found out that the teacher had cancelled the class for tonight. Once that was settled we finished up the last remaining things to do in the house and headed over to Debbie's deck to play cards while the realtor came by. Well time and classes wait for no one. 6 o'clock rolled around and no realtor had shown up. So we got Sean all set up to start his second class when then arrived. There had been a miscommunication between the appointment setters and the realtor who thought that their appointment ran until 6:30. No worries. We let them come on in and have a look around with the understanding that Sean was in class online. It was a tight squeeze but we got it all accomplished.

While they were looking at the house I had the dogs in the yard and saw a beautiful sunset through the trees. I snapped a few shots and do believe that this is the best of the bunch. I really like the lavender and pinks.

This evening Dean put in some overtime working on Sean's computer. It was having a power cord connection issue. So with some sodering and a few fingers crossed he's putting it back together so that it will be all set for the rest of the week.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thought for the Day:Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead. - Benjamin Franklin

Irish Luck

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.

There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my son's life.'

'No, I can't accept payment for what I did,' the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.

'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked.

'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly.

'I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy. If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.' And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.

What saved his life this time? Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name?

Sir Winston Churchill.

Someone once said: What goes around comes around.

Work like you don't need the money.Love like you've never been hurt.Dance like nobody's watching.Sing like nobody's listening.Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

AN IRISH FRIENDSHIP WISH

May there always be work for your hands to do;May your purse always hold a coin or two;May the sun always shine on your windowpane;May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain;May the hand of a friend always be near you;May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Alice and I have been having a wonderful conversation about 'beauty products', if you can image. This is one topic that we never ever talk about. We both usually say, who cares, but this morning we have covered using:

i.d. bareMinerals cosmetics - Alice found this stuff and recommended to everyone in the family. It is terrific and it doesn't feel like you are wearing any makeup at all.

Herbal Essence Hello Hydration shampoo & conditioner - Alice found this recently, and she's been raving on it for several days lately so of course I had to try it also. It really is great it makes my hair so soft and fluffy. Danielle told me that she uses this too.

Olay Body quench therapy for heel, knee & elbow repair - I found this one and with my terribly rough heels I gave it a go. It is working...my hands are even getting softer and smoother from applying it.

Dean got Sean off to school for the day. He had a great day at school. Once he came home he's had a fairly good afternoon and looking forward to this evening.

I've been working on a materials list for the scenery at church. I hope that I've got everything covered. I'm still having a question on how to get it all to stand up properly. I'm pretty sure that if I get out and hunt at either Lowes or Home Depot to find the right piece of equipment. I've sent it off to Jamie, but will drop by the church with the actual drawing.

I also have sent off a resume today for a personal assistant position with the dentist that Jamie work for. She was so sweet to call me today and tell me where to submit my application via email. Now everyone cross all the fingers and pray that the appropriate thing will come through for me.

Danielle gave me a call this evening. We had a great conversation. She even told me about the prom dress that she wants, but she wants in marigold. She's going to drop by after school tomorrow to pick up her dolphin ring that I found while going through things this afternoon. She tells me that Faith has begun sleeping through the night within the last week.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thought for the Day:"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was within me an invincible summer." - Albert Camus

Sunday, February 25, 2007

Early this morning, around 1:30 a.m., we were getting some icy/rainy precipitation. The girls wanted to go out and while we were there it began to come down pretty hard. But by the time we woke up this morning, the rain had passed.

Pastor Eaves filled in today for Dr. Fowler, who is in Egypt. He delivered an excellent sermon entitled, "Liars, and the Losers Who Love Them". Very interesting.

We had our first house showing scheduled for 1-2 p.m. this afternoon, but Dean tells me that they did not show; followed by a second showing from 3-4. We aren't sure if they showed up or not. The first group did show up but apparently very late and are going to reschedule.

I headed out with Walter and the girls after church. We put the girls at his place and then headed out to Olive Garden for lunch, while the boys hit Panera - they have internet access there. Walter and I had a terrific lunch starting with an appetizer sampler of calamari, fried mozzarella, and stuffed mushrooms; we had the salad, Soupa Toscana and breadstick for the main meal and we both were naughty and had dessert. I had tiramisu and Walt had slice of cheesecake. It was a great meal. We headed back to get the girls and wait out the final house showing before he brought me home for the afternoon.

It was funny the way the girls behaved at his apartment. Lilly was crawling around on the carpet like an alligator swimming in the water, while Carla danced at his bedroom door behind which was Walter's boys (Butch & Sundance). Carla has a big thing for birds, she seems to be totally fascinated by them.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thought for the Day: Humor is a divine quality, and God has the greatest sense of humor of all. He must have; otherwise He wouldn't have made so many politicians.- Martin Luther King

Saturday, February 24, 2007

We have a sunny yet brisk morning today. Great sunshine, but standing outside is not so fun there is a nice breeze blowing that makes that wind chill factor kick right on in. Burr.

One of the neighbors dead trees that we have been watching finally fell. It took out a portion of Debbie's fence, a couple of slats it looks like. Hopefully not much more than that. I'm grateful that no one was injured when it fell.

So far...there are no house showing scheduled for today or tomorrow, but that can change at any minute. The best policy around here is just like the Boy Scouts: Be prepared.

Walter came by to visit with us for a short while. While he was here I spied a hawk in the neighbors dead tree behind our fence. This is my attempt at getting a photo of the hawk. It is in no way as good as the ones that Mom gets, but it was an attempt. The sun was shining right on him, plus he was looking away from me. However, it was a great sight to see. Then there was the second photo of him flying off.

As you can see it is really distant, but a photo neverless.

Walter had come by to work on installing some new speakers into his car, but they ended up being the wrong size. So we went off on an adventure this afternoon to find some that would fit. Our first stop was WalMart which didn't have any that were the correct size, then there was Circuit City followed by Best Buy all of which failed to have speakers that would mount flush. They all had this weird little bump out on them.

After dinner this evening Walt went on his way and the guys both stretched out to take a nap. Sean is still sleeping 3 1/2 hours later. At this point we'll need to slip him into bed without waking him up fully.

We did have some neighborhood excitement around 7:30 p.m., the neighbor across the street had the rescue squad at their home. It seems that his wife, who is 6 months pregnate, had passed out. They seem to think that it was due to getting overly tired - she had been doing quite a bit more today than normal. They did take her to the hospital in the ambulance. So we'll find out what exactly happened sometime tomorrow.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thought for the Day: “If there is one thing upon this earth that mankind love and admire better than another, it is a brave man—it is the man who dares to look the devil in the face and tell him he is a devil.” —James A. Garfield

Friday, February 23, 2007

It looks like Sean is going to make it back to school today. I wish him a wonderful day.

Nothing much has gone on here all morning. I'm just about ready to head out and pick Sean up from school. We have time to come home, have lunch and clean up before we head out while there is a house showing from 1:30-2:30 this afternoon.

The realtor and her client didn't show up until well after 3:00 p.m, however, I let them come on in and have a look around. The client was from Florida and here to look at houses, she had seen ours on the internet and really liked what she saw. She also made lots of positive comments while she was here. Sounds like a positive prospect to me....

Dean is working really late this evening. They must have some big issue going on in his department. Sean is heading off to Skate-a-way for the evening, so he will surely be good and tired once he gets back in for the evening.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thoughts for the Day:

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." --Samuel Adams

"The most handicapped person in the world is a negative thinker."Heather Whitestone, former Miss America...she is deaf.

George Carlin's Views on Aging

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

"How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

"How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90's, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Well we had some rain during the night - it doesn't look like it was much, but the deck and driveway are still wet so it didn't end long ago.

Last night, Jamie (a wonderful choir member), told me that he boss was looking for a personal assistant. Then she described their office - Italian cafe complete with expresso machine. Her boss even is heading to Italy during his daughters spring break with her class - what a treat. He also speaks some Italian. So...I hastily emailed off my resume(s) to his office late last night. Who knows?? It is always worth a try.The set design sketch was approved as is for the moment. Dr. Fowler will still have some input, but for now I will be putting together a materials list for the construction. So that Jamie, will be able to present it to the proper people for approval. This should be an easy project especially when there can be help with the construction and base painting. The size is 24' long by 8' high. Not as large as some of my other painting projects but very different in that it is not that detailed and more of a loosely painted piece.

Sean is still suffering from his intestinal bug. We all hope that this is the last day that he has to deal with that. He is suppose to attend his online classes this evening, hopefully since he has had excused absences he will be able to attend. Which would be a great move towards getting him back into things.

Spring was on my mind so much I went out and dug up a pot of peonies for the deck and have one long pot of hostas (the ones that Debbie gave) put into a pot as well. Three more long pots to go so about 9 plants is all that I need. Hostas reproduce just about as quickly as rabbits so it isn't necessary to have too many.Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thoughts for the Day:

“Speak when you are angry, and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.”—Ambrose Bierce

"If it is true that girls are inclined to marry men like their fathers, it is understandable why mothers cry at weddings."

Wednesday, February 21, 2007

I just took the girls out for a quick late night potty break and as they were outside it began to rain. I don't know if it is going to keep up through out the rest of the morning or not but it sure was a surprise to be out there with them when big rain drops started coming down.

The rain didn't last until morning...just damp sidewalks are left to even suggest that it rained at all. But the birds do sound happier - perhaps the rain kicked up something new to eat or left enough water in birdbaths and low places for them to get a drink or even splash about.

Alice sent me an email with various PhotoShop images of cats, this one is one of my favorites of the bunch. As you can see the artist turned the cat into a koi. What a great camouflaged for hunting koi at the ponds edge.

Today is going to be quite hectic. I believe that I will be heading in two different directions at once during part of the day. So on tap for today we have scheduled:

Windshield Repair for Walter's Car

House Showing from 11:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Orthodontist appointment to get lower retainer

Feed Walter's birds - pick up Walter instead.

Dean to be working late

Choir practice 8:15 - 9:15 p.m.

The first three items on my list are all scheduled to happen right around the same time. The overlapping scheduling is going to drive me crazy. Okay the didn't work out quite as nicely as planned, but....here's the breakdown of what went on. First Sean was sick again today with an intestinal bug, so we had to cancel his orthodontist appointment. But I was able to just run out and pick up. Then the people who were coming to look at the house arrive 15 minutes early - I was in the middle of vaccuming the floor. After that things started falling together nicely, the windshield repair man arrived after everything else was done.

Marion dropped by for a visit this afternoon and afterwards I was able to get out and pick up Sean's doctor's note for school, drop it and sign some papers at the school. Productive afternoon. Later on this afternoon or early evening, I'll be running out to pick up Walter so that he can take his car back home. He wasn't suppose to be back in town until Friday, but they had a change of plans for the day and will be going back out tomorrow. So the whole car thing works out great.

I've run out and picked up Walter and he's already back home by now. Ready to get some rest for the evening. I still have choir practice to get to this evening. I hope that Paul doesn't keep us too late and that Dean gets home before I have to head out.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thought for the Day:In spite of the cost of living, it's still popular.- Kathleen Norris

ONE MINUTE EACH NIGHT

In WWII, there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every night at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace.

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Each evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central)(7:00 PM Mountain)(6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a Godly nation.

If you know anyone who would like to participate, please pass this along. Someone said if Christians really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Thank You, and God Bless America

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Marion & Dale sent me this photo of their new granddaughter, Cheyenne. Her full name is Cheyenne Nadine Lynn Hipps. Quite a mouthful for such a little girl. I'm not sure if she has any of Chris' features or not, but she certainly looks wide eyed and awake in this photo.

The temperatures have climbed somewhat over the past few days and it isn't freezing anymore. Maybe that groundhog was right at least for Virginia.

I'm looking for a job now. I've submitted a couple of resumes so far, but no replies yet. I am hoping to get something before too long. This is a giant obstacle and hurdle that I must over come - what makes it such a large obstacle is that for 15 years I've been a household manager aka Mom.

Well, our outings for the day consisted of a visit to Patient First for a stomach ailment. Sean has his doctor's note for being out today which will be helpful for the rest of the week. We missed getting to the orthodontist this afternoon, but were able to get it rescheduled for tomorrow. He also had follow up appointment with the orthopedic, but we just cancelled that one.

The girls got a little creative this afternoon and I was able to get several photos of them, individually and together. This is the best one of the two of them together. They aren't trying to pick on, bite or otherwise beat up on each other in anyway in this picture.

This afternoon I got on the stick and put together this sketch for Jamie - the Easter drama director. This is to be used to cover the piano and organ area in the front of the church. I hope that this is what she is looking for. At least it is a start on something. Now all I need to do is measure the area on each side to determine if it needs to be expanded or shrunk any.Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thought for the Day: “Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do.” —Benjamin Franklin

FLOWERS FOR A FRIEND

Happiness keeps You Sweet,Trials keep You Strong,Sorrows keep You Human,Failures keep You Humble,Success keeps You Glowing,But Only God keeps You Going!You are so special!

Some people in Georgia and the Carolinas have trouble with all those "shalls" and "shall nots" in the in the Ten commandments. . Folks just aren't used to talking in those terms. So, some folks got together and translated the "King James" into our own language,.... no joke, read on...

This has to be one of the best singles ads ever printed. It is reported to have been listed in the Atlanta Journal.

SINGLE BLACK FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I'm a very good girl who LOVES to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me. Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Daisy, I'll be waiting....

Over 15,000 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society.

Monday, February 19, 2007

Dean is off to work; and Walter is off to work for the week in Staunton, again! I do believe that he is getting to know that area quite well. He told me there are even a couple of restaurants that they really like up there. I do believe that he could actually move up there and already feel at home with the area. Then there is Tim who's off toward Lee County - again - he keeps running into 'cousins' at every turn. Hard not to when you've had family in the same area since 1740.

Checking the email this morning, I found that we had received an offer on the house...but it isn't what we are asking in fact they are asking (I think) for a bit much. Still that is what negotiations and realtors are for, we'll see what happens. We may even get another offer from a different party. Then they could have a bidding war which would be great for us. I can only hope. I almost forgot that we do have another house showing today from 2 - 2:30 p.m. Happy Thought! they could really like the place and just come in with the perfect offer.

Sean is hitting the orthodontist twice today. Once this morning to have his braces removed and later on this afternoon to get his retainer. In between we have another doctors appointment and a house showing. It is going to be truly a busy day.

Our first visit to the orthodontist went well although it took about a half hour longer than we had expected. Sean has nice straight pearly whites. Our in-between doctors appointment took forever, since it was a walk-in appointment. But we made it through and back to the orthodontist for our second appointment on time. The retainer that they put in this afternoon looks like one of those invisaline type of braces. It doesn't look like he has anything at all in his mouth. He gets to wear it for 6 months then only at night. There was a little snafu with the lower retainer so we are heading back tomorrow and pick it up.

We have had an offer on the house, which turned out to be significantly lower than what we are asking. We've countered their offer and they still aren't happy. We've given one more counter offer to see if that would fly...and then we will have to decide whether or not to drop the price.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thoughts for the Day:

"Don't tell me the sky is the limit, there are footprints on the moon!""

If you only believe what you see, then you are limited to what's on the surface. If you only believe what you see, then why do you pay your electric bill?" - Dr. Wayne Dyer

Survivors

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930's 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's !!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets…not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat. We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this. We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank koolade made with sugar, but we weren't overweight because ……. WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING !

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K. We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem. We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms.......WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever. We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes. We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law! These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!

If YOU are one of them . . CONGRATULATIONS! You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good……

And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave (and lucky) their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!

Sunday, February 18, 2007

I'm heading out a little early to pick up Walter for choir practice, to be followed by Sunday school and church. He's been taking some meds that make him a bit sleepy so he asked me to give him the ride. Well, plans change, Walter ended up heading to a basketball game after church with one of his friends. While I headed home to be there for the arrival of the realtor for our open house.Our OPEN HOUSE is from 2 to 4 p.m. Alice was so sweet in printing up about 25 flyers for the day. I got them all put together on Friday. I'm glad I did since we needed them for the few showings on Saturday as well.

The guys and I headed up to Panera's for lunch, we let the girls hang out in the car while we ate. I wasn't too worried about them since it was in no way hot outside, I was sure they would be okay. Sean tried to get on the internet while we were there but his power supply on his computer was having issues. After lunch we headed down to LG's to do a few errands and visit for a short while.

We found out that our Open House went fine. There were five groups that came through to see the house today - including one couple that had already been to the house before. From what the realtor told us there were nothing but good comments and positive feedback. Now for them just to follow up with the prospective buyers and get this thing sold.

The girls are sure glad to get home and to be able to rest. They have been away from home so much I'm sure that they will be 'relieved' as well when they don't have to go somewhere.

We had brief bit of excitement with the weather, about 10 minutes of snow flurries. Then they were gone. Sean called Granny to let her know and she never did get any her way. Maybe later this evening. Depending upon the weather report that we look at we either or are not going to have snow. It is a total toss up. Usually we don't get any so I'm not getting my hopes up at all.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thought for the Day: “The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.” —Proverbs 16:4

Saturday, February 17, 2007

It is going to be an amazingly busy afternoon. I'm so glad that I got the brochures on the house completed yesterday afternoon. We have three showings today!! It is going to be busy around here from noon to 4:00. I'm planning on taking the girls and Sean, if he wants, out to Mom & Dad's to hang out for the duration; and Dean is heading out to the library to study. Sean may go with him if he doesn't want to go with me.

As I was leaving to head out to Mom & Dad's Walter showed up and he headed out with us to visit. Mom & I had a nice visit while Dad & Walter took naps, so did the girls. By the time that they all woke up, it was time for us to get back home.

Walter took me out to dinner this evening to the Olive Garden. It was quite a wait to get a table. I don't think that I have ever been there when it was that crowded before. The food was delicious and we had fun just goofing off.

It seems like the house showings must have gone well. Several of the flyers in were taken from the island. It shows promise. We have an open house tomorrow. I hope that it goes well also.

We've had some amusement around here this evening. Lilly has been chasing a ball around and since I've waxed the vinyl flooring she has been slip sliding around, hardly being able to keep her footing.

We also rented a couple of movies for the evening entertainment these are more on the serious side than the usual picks:

Flags of Our Fathers

Fly Boys

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thought for the Day: "The time to relax is when you don't have time for it." - Sydney J. Harris

Friday, February 16, 2007

Good morning all. Today is grocery shopping day, thus the title of today's entry. I'll be heading out early with the prospect of getting everything home and put away before it is time for Sean to come home from school.

Grocery shopping went well. Not much stress involved at all. Just a simple shopping trip. I did enjoy just scooting along not rushing.

Sean had a terrific time at school today. He even got extra credit for a recipe that he took in today. He is excited about hitting school on Tuesday.

I hopped by Mom's house to return her playmate cooler and a big hawk flew into the tree near my car. Mom got this picture of it - she doesn't think that it is that great, but it works for me.

I received a telephone call from Danielle this afternoon. She was telling me all about the concert last night. The had some great fun. She had a bit of difficulty afterwards though, she twisted her ankle when she fell off her heels. Sounds like everyone else in the family. She said that it is doing alright, but it is a bit more swollen than it was yesterday. She was on the way home this afternoon to put some ice on her ankle and prop it up. I'm sure that she'll be feeling before too long, after all there is a three day weekend that she will be able to use to recover.

Walter & I did battle with his taxes. These really should be super simple. No worries at all. We got them finished and he even managed to get a refund too!

I headed back out this evening for Chinese for dinner - always a good choice. I also had slip back by WalMart to pick up dog food for Lilly (somewhere in my zoned out moment of shopping I forgot to get the large cans of food for her). I met up with Marion and her girls, she had photo of the new granddaughter to share. It looks like she is going to be a real cutie. She told that her hubby has been having a little trouble getting home this evening - as he is in Iowa and waiting on the weather to allow him to get back.

Sean is heading out to go skating this evening with his friends from school. He'll have a great time this evening.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thought for the Day:"I do not believe...I know. I have had the experience of being gripped by something that is far stronger than myself, something that people call God."Carl Jung

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Well today is the big day! Alice is turning in my resume to the company that she works for this morning. I'm applying for a position as an Administrative Assistant. This is my first real 'official' job application. I hope that I do hear from them. They sound like a great & stable company. The service that they provide is always in need.

Sean had a great day at school today. This evening was his first Nexus class, math. He has the same teacher, Mrs. Bearer that he had at the end of last year for Language Arts. He will be having her this year for both Language Arts & Math. The class is going to be a late one, we thought it was 5 to 6 but instead it is actually an hour later 6-7. Dean was here with him during class while I popped out for a couple of hours.

This evening I attended the Pyramid Concert at Manchester High School. The show was excellent. I particularly enjoy the Boys Show Choir and Capital Swing. They are a real treat to see perform. I was only able to get this one shot of Danielle while her group was performing. The lighting at the school is terrible for taking photos of anything on stage. I still haven't figured out how to take a good shot in there and it has been over four years of trying. I did get one really nice one of Danielle prior to the concert.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thought for the Day: You no long have to keep up with the Joneses...they've died of exhaustion. - The Old Vermonter

Management at its Best

A large company, feeling it was time for a shakeup, hired a new CEO. This new boss was determined to rid the company of all slackers.

On a tour of the facilities, the CEO noticed a guy leaning on a wall. The room was full of workers and he wanted to let them know that he meant business!

The new CEO walked up to the guy leaning against the wall and asked "How much money do you make a week?"

A little surprised, the young fellow looked at him and replied, "I make $300.00 a week. Why?"

The CEO then handed the guy $1,200 in cash and screamed, "Here's four weeks' pay, now GET OUT and don't come back."

Feeling pretty good about himself, the CEO looked around the room and asked, "Does anyone want to tell me what that goof-off did here?"

From across the room came a voice, "Pizza delivery guy from Dominos."

Priest Twin

Our priest suddenly became ill and asked his twin brother, also a priest, to fill in for him and conduct a funeral Mass scheduled for that day. His brother, of course, agreed.

It was not until the brother was accompanying the casket down the aisle, however, that he realized that he had neglected to ask the sex of the deceased. This was information that he would need for his remarks during the service.

As he approached the first pew where the deceased's relatives were seated he nodded toward the casket and whispered to one woman, "Brother or sister?"

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

I received this today from Danielle & family, click on it to see the full animation.

We've reached the middle of the week. We awoke to a thin layer of ice covering the deck and cars. Nothing much on the street, definitely not enough to keep the kids out of school. There was one bit of damage in the backyard, one of the neighbors dead trees broke and fell into our yard breaking my crape myrtle tree. I do hope that they volunteer to clean up the mess.

Sean spent the morning baking heart shaped cookies/pretzels. They turned out fairly well. Now he just needs to clean up the mess in the kitchen. He has also been spending time playing WOW.

I've spent part of the afternoon sewing up a padded cover for the backseat of the Camry. Since the girls have been spending a lot of time riding around in the car this will protect my leather and give them some footing to help keep them from sliding around.

Sean's homebound classes have been set up for Tuesday and Thursday late afternoons. He'll be in class both days from 4-6 p.m. I'm so glad that they have set it up to give him a break between coming home from school and the beginning of homebound. It should give him a nice transition time.

Well it is official now we are having an OPEN HOUSE on Sunday afternoon. Well, hopefully it will be a productive afternoon.

I snitched this picture from Mom. She took it the other day when I was out at their house. I swear we took this picture 15 or 20 times. Dad was just plain ol' onery, he wouldn't smile for hardly anything. I believe that Mom had him to think about a turkey to get him to smile in this one.

This one was the mainly the type of looks we were getting out of him. He would be cutting up every time Mom tried to get him to smile. As you can tell he really was trying to look like he was put out because we were trying to get him to actually smile. We know he can do it, but you can't prove it by this one.

Even though we were giving him such a hard time, I do believe that he was enjoying himself giving us a hard time back.

Email & Newsletter Gleanings:

Thoughts for the Day:

The most curative thought in the world is the thought of love. - Ruth Stafford Pearle

“There is in the worst of fortune the best of chances for a happy change.” —Euripides

Song of Solomon

“Why is Song of Solomon in the canon of Scripture?... It tells of how King Solomon discovered a beautiful woman and fell in love with her...[T]he open expression of sensuality makes some uncomfortable, wondering if such words should even be published in our holy book. Jewish and Christian scholars generally agree that Song of Solomon is part of Scripture for two reasons. First, it upholds a picture of marital love as it was intended. Here is a glimpse of what God desired when He joined man and wife in the Garden of Eden and told them to ‘be fruitful and multiply.’ For centuries marriages have occurred for many reasons—for economic or political benefits, because the families got along, because the man needed an heir, because it was convenient and that’s what young people did. But marriage primarily for reasons of love has become commonplace only in the last couple of centuries, and not in all parts of the world. Is that what God really wanted marriage to be—an expression of passionate love? In the Song of Solomon we glimpse the possibilities: Man and woman can thoroughly enjoy each other for life within the confines of marriage. Whether marriage emerges from a romance or is arranged, God’s intention is that every married couple experience the fullness of romantic love for each other.” —Al Janssen